The iFISH StoreReviews of theifishstore.com

Response from The iFISH StoreMar 29, 2022

Hello Mohammed; We're sorry to hear that your Cichlid coloring is not as vibrant as you'd expected. We did go back and double checked specifically what was sent out in your order and we can verify that we did send out 8 different strains of African Cichlids in the quantities that you had requested. You had a nice selection of blues, reds and yellows in your order. As for the loss of color after 2 weeks, some photos and information on tank parameters would have helped us determine what was going on there. But here are a few things to consider when Cichlids lose their color since it can be a bit more common than most think. These developmental changes can be short-term such as being triggered by the environment. On the contrary, some changes are long-term when they are caused by injuries or developmental changes. While most factors are within our control, some are not. These include: (1) Dominant Male Hormone: All fish release hormones into the water, but the dominant male tops the list. These hormones are then picked up by the receptors of other subdominant males. As a result, their growth is stunted, and they don’t achieve their true color potential. This is why it’s critical to conduct regular water changes. It just doesn’t remove toxic buildups like ammonia and nitrite but also hormones that hinder the growth of other fish. (2) Developmental Changes: Developmental changes are one of the most common reasons behind a cichlid’s color morph. Not all species retain the sample color from birth through adulthood. The color changes can be subtle or dramatic depending on the species. (3) Stress: Stress as a result of less than optimum tank parameters, feeding or tankmates can prevent normal development of color. (4) Illness: If everything in your tank looks good, but your fish are still losing colors, it could be a sign of an illness. We would need photos to further diagnose exactly what illness and the suggested treatment. It can be any of the above that has caused the loss of color in your Cichlids. Something you might want to try is determine their environment, the tank’s occupants, sex ratio, species mix and aggression levels – factors that directly influence the cichlid’s coloration. Always make sure the tank is spacious, so your fish get enough exercise to grow well. Also, be mindful of the sex ratio and the number of residents in the tank to avoid exposing your cichlid to stress. We're sorry you are not pleased with your Cichlids but hope that this helps. If we can be of further assistance and you'd like to take a closer look with photos and measured tank parameters, please contact us at [email protected].

Response from The iFISH StoreMar 26, 2022

Hello Drew; We are very sorry for delaying your order and not informing you in a timely manner. We wanted to wait on an incoming shipment of Cichlids to provide you with a better selection of an OB Peacock. But you are right and we should have communicated with you about the delay to see if that timing would work for you. We are a family owned business and if you check our other reviews, we do work very hard at our customer service. We're disappointed you did not have a good experience with us and can only hope you will give us another try in the future.

Response from The iFISH StoreMar 17, 2022

Hello Natasha; We are sorry that your Blue Lobster perished. Had you notified us immediately when you observed that the Blue Lobster appeared frail upon receipt we would have been happy to work with you. We're sorry you didn't have a better experience with us but we really count on our customers to notify us as soon as possible, even if it is outside the 2-hour timeframe so we can realistically respond to the situation.

Response from The iFISH StoreMar 2, 2022

Hello Howard, We certainly weren't trying to blow you off. We were trying to assess all of the parameters in your tank so we could knowledgeably advise you on how to correct the problem you were witnessing. When a customer reaches out to us concerning the health of their fish, it's standard procedure for us to ask these questions so we can get a better understanding of the environment. We're sure that the highly recommended professional that you rely on to keep your tank would ask the same questions if he/she could not physically visit and test your tank. We're sorry you were frustrated with our efforts to assist. But we like to make an accurate assessment first before we simply replace fish so we can be assured that the replacements will not be placed in the same conditions that may have triggered the problem in the first place.

Response from The iFISH StoreFeb 11, 2022

Hello Angela; We're sorry to see you have decided to rate us poorly given the situation you presented us with in the email we received from you on February 7th. Here are the facts from what we were able to see in looking into your order. You originally placed the order on January 4th. We shipped the order on January 19th and notified you both by text and email that your order was sent via FedEx Overnite Service and provided the tracking information. On January 20th we sent an email at 10:37AM that the order was out for delivery and again at 11:43AM that it had been delivered. We then heard nothing from you until February 7th when you sent us an email stating you did not receive your fish, you'd made several attempts via email to contact us and could not find a phone number to call us. We replied on February 8th stating that we had no other emails from you reporting the package was not delivered and that when we called our Premier FedEx Contact, we received their report that the package was delivered. Also, that they did not receive a call from you to report the package missing. Per FedEx's standard procedure, if there is a call for a package not delivered, they open a case and assign it a case number so we both can track the resolution. At that point we indicated in our email to you on February 8th, that because it had been 18 days since the delivery date, FedEx was unable to do a trace. We apologized and stated that because it was so far outside the time frame to rectify this issue, we are unable to issue a refund or send replacements. And you were not happy. We hoped you would understand that when we are notified by a customer almost 3 weeks after a package was reported by FedEx as being delivered that we have little we can do on this end. We have scoured through all of our emails in the timeframe since we shipped your package and have found none from you. We also can't quite understand why you were unable to find our phone number to contact us by phone. Not only is it in our Order Acknowledgement Email you received when you placed the order, it is in our Shipping Notification Email as well as on our Website. Even if you were to Google "The iFISH Store", you would easily see our phone number. At this point, we really are not sure how we could have handled our communication and customer service better given what you presented us with. We really count on our customer's communication to notify us immediately when there is any kind of a problem so we can act quickly. Being notified 18 days after the supposed delivery date puts us all at a disadvantage. We are sorry that this was your experience with us and you feel you need to contact the Better Business Bureau over this. We stand by our actions and the only thing we can do at this point is provide the BBB the information we have outlined here when they contact us over your report.

Response from The iFISH StoreFeb 11, 2022

Hello Jeff; We're sorry to hear that your twelve cichlids perished. If you'd contacted us at the first signs of illness, we would have been happy to work with you in determining the root cause and then made recommendations on how we could move forward and correct the situation. At this point with the little information that you provided here, we don't know if they arrived in poor condition, your tank parameters were not optimal, the acclimation process followed was we what we recommend or if we need to look to feeding or tank mates as a cause. Should you decide to work with us again, please contact us if there are any signs of poor health so we can work with you.

Response from The iFISH StoreDec 30, 2021

Hello David; Thank you for contacting us about the 2 fish that perished during shipment. As discussed, we refunded you for the 2 Cichlids that perished. We noticed that included in the same order were Bumble Bee Catfish and Crayfish. We were wondering if you had the one remaining Cichlid in the same tank as the catfish and crayfish. It isn't really an optimal community environment if so and may have lead to health problems. We are happy to work with our clients prior to, during and after a purchase to ensure they have healthy new additions to their aquarium. We're sorry this was your experience with us and certainly hope you'll give us another try.